To conceal or reveal: Identity-conscious diversity ideologies facilitate sexual minority identity disclosure

Abstract

Sexual minorities continue to face workplace discrimination, which leads to them experiencing concerns about disclosing their own sexual identities. Despite the benefits of disclosure, relatively little research has examined what organizational factors can work together to foster disclosure of a sexual minority identity. Across five experiments (N = 1662), we examined two main factors: diversity ideologies and information about diversity climate. Sexual minorities were more willing to disclose in organizations with diversity messages conveying that they value group differences (an identity-conscious ideology) relative to those that downplay differences (an identity-blind ideology). Identity-conscious ideologies also increased belonging, perceptions of fair treatment and perceptions of LGBTQ+ representation. Despite expectations that contradictory evidence demonstrating a negative diversity climate might create mistrust and impede disclosure, the benefits of an identity-conscious ideology persisted in the face of a negative diversity climate. These findings point to the complexities of facilitating visible sexual minority representation in many workplace environments.